AUSTRALIA’S oldest Olympian and swimming great Forbes Carlile passed away on Tuesday morning. He was 95.

Carlile was renowned as a trailblazer of Australian swimming both as a coach and later as an Olympic competitor in the modern pentathlon.

Carlile produced some of Australia’s finest swimming champions including Shane Gould, Karen Moras and Terry Gathercole.

In 1972, under Carlile’s coaching, Gould held the world records for the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle.

He was the Australian swimming coach at the 1948, 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games.

He remains the only person to have coached and then later competed at the Olympic Games when he contested the modern pentathlon at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.

The Australian Swim Coaches and Teachers Association released a statement on the passing of Carlile, saying he had been an inspiration to many swimming coaches not just in Australia but around the world.

“It is with great sadness that ASCTA announce the passing of our legend and Number one swimming coach Forbes Carlile,” the statement said.

Shane Gould dominated all freestyle distances under the guidance of Forbes Carlile.Source:News Limited

“For many years Carlile was an integral member of the ASCTA Conference and was always seated in the front row beside his wife of Ursula.

“He will be sadly missed by the whole swimming community.”

AOC Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller, a former Olympic modern pentathlete, expressed her condolences on behalf of the Australian Olympic team.

“The passing of Forbes Carlile is incredibly sad and our thoughts are with his wife Ursula,” she said.

“He was a true legend in Australian Olympic history as both an athlete and a coach.

“He was Australia’s first-ever Olympian in modern pentathlon and it was a true honour to know him.

“Just four weeks ago at the annual Kaplya Club (Helsinki Olympic reunion) he was asking me about the pentathlon event in Rio and he retained a keen interest and knowledge in the sport and the Olympics.”

Sadly it was only a few days ago, on July 28, that the Australian Olympic Committee confirmed Carlile as their oldest living Olympian after the passing of 1956 fencer Helen Joy Hordon.